The absence of a properly constituted Police Service Commission (PSC) would delay any disciplinary action being taken against senior officers found in dereliction of duty as regard their response to calls about the Lusignan massacre.
An inspector from a police station in ‘C’ Division has since been transferred and others may face similar disciplinary action as the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) continues investigations. However, the issue of how to administer substantial disciplinary action against that officer and others of his rank or higher would have to be addressed by the PSC, Stabroek News has learnt. “The police service commission is not alive and nothing could be done until an individual to head the commission is appointed,” a source told this newspaper. However, if other officers of a lower rank are also found guilty of dereliction of duties, disciplinary action could be instituted by the police commissioner.
The PSC is not fully constituted. President Bharrat Jagdeo swore in Harold Martin, Franchot Duncan-Clarke and Dennis Morgan as members in October but no chairman has been appointed. Jagdeo had told reporters that he and the Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin had agreed to go ahead with the swearing in of the three while they held consultations about the appointment of a chairman. Retired Deputy Police Commissioner Ivan Crandon, who was selected to sit on the committee, was Jagdeo’s appointee to chair the commission. However, Crandon passed away several months ago.
Following an investigation by the police, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee last week threatened stringent action against the defaulting officers who received the calls from Lusignan residents but did not respond in a timely manner. Residents were incensed not only at the 11 murders but moreso because they believe that the number of fatalities might have been less had the police responded to their calls.
Rohee had told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the results of the report was very disappointing as it related to the response of senior ranks who were on duty at the time. “The main question is what happened between 2 am and 2.20 am. By 2.05 the call was made and this call was received by a senior policeman and he failed to take appropriate action that would have resulted in a quick response,” he had said. Rohee said the officer’s action was a serious lapse and showed bad judgment since he had patrols at his disposal but did not deploy them to the scene.
The minister admitted that there was dereliction of duty by the senior rank and others in the division during the period. “
